5 NFL teams that could surprise with playoff runs
Here are five NFL teams that could surprise many pundits and make a run and then some noise in the 2021 playoffs.
5. Washington Football Team
The Football Team is the only squad on the list which made the postseason last year. Yet Washington still qualified considering it only went 7-9 and started Taylor Heinicke at quarterback in its NFC Wild Card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After adding receiver Curtis Samuel and corner William Jackson III, along with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Football Team is intriguing. Don’t forget about the defense either, which looks like a top-five unit.
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4. Minnesota Vikings
Why are the Vikings being slept on so much? Probably because while quarterback Kirk Cousins is good, he excites nobody. Also, Minnesota disappointed in 2020 by missing the playoffs after going to then Divisional round in ’19. However, this team looks loaded on paper. The Vikings added corners Bashaud Breeland and Patrick Peterson to the depth chart while signing star defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to a two-year deal. Factor in the first-round pick of offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw, and the Vikings are stacked.
3. San Francisco 49ers
Another NFC team, but this time out west. The 49ers were racked by injuries last season after almost winning the Super Bowl in 2019. While Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the future, he is solid enough in the present to help a very good San Francisco team make a run, even in the league’s toughest division, the NFC West. If the Niners can simply avoid the injury bug, they should win 11+ games and be in the mix come January.
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2. Los Angeles Chargers
Why not continue in the state of California? The Chargers finished strong last season with four straight wins to run their record to 7-9. Justin Herbert is the real deal at quarterback and the offensive line was completely rebuilt this offseason by general manager Tom Telesco. While Los Angeles did lose a few pieces off the defense in edge rusher Melvin Ingram, linebacker Denzel Perryman and corner Casey Hayward, the roster is good enough to make the postseason and be a problem once there.
1. New York Giants
If Daniel Jones plays reasonably well, the Giants are going to score a ton of points. The defense provided it could play last year under first-year NFL head coach Joe Judge, and now the offense is both explosive and deep. New York gets running back Saquon Barkley back from a torn ACL to pair with receivers Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard. Again, if Jones is simply decent, look out.
